Reagan Run 5K: Sterling’s Jacob Gebhardt goes back-to-back, wins fourth title in Dixon’s annual race

DIXON – The Reagan Run 5K returned to a sizable crowd Saturday morning in downtown Dixon, as 793 runners – toddlers, senior citizens and everything in between – ran the course from Ronald Reagan’s Boyhood Home to the finish line in Haymarket Square.

Sterling’s Jacob Gebhardt, 23, defended his Reagan Run title with a time of 15:07.56, shaving almost 17 seconds off last year’s time and previous-best of 15:24.25. It was his fourth time winning the race; he also won in 2019 (16:04.11) and 2017 (16:20.04).

For Gebhardt, reuniting with old friends from high school is always a highlight of the experience.

“I’ve been doing it since fourth grade, I think, was the first time I did it. And then once I went to college, it was kind of periodic, but quite a few times,” Gebhardt said. “It’s always fun to come out and run the Reagan Run. It’s just some middle-of-the-summer training, it breaks it up, and gives me something to look forward to. I always enjoy doing it, running with some of my old high school buddies.”

Christian Patzka, a 21-year-old from Mazomanie, Wisconsin, was this year’s runner-up, clocking a 15:26.10 in his Reagan Run debut.

“It was great. I had a lot of fun with it. Fun course, fun people. Just a lot of fun, really,” Patzka said. “Not really [any expectations going in], I figured I’d probably get like top 3. I know one of my friends was telling me that Jake Gebhardt’s here. And I’m like, ‘Ah, he’s pretty tough,’ but my expectations were to have fun with it.”

Sterling rising senior Dale Johnson came in third, running a 15:48.67. In May, Johnson had two medal finishes at the Class 2A state track & field meet in Charleston, taking second in the 3,200 meters (9:08.77) and fourth in the 1,600 meters (4:17.46). He also ran a leg in the Golden Warriors’ eighth-place 4x400 relay (3:27.57) with teammates Jordan Britt, Kael Ryan and Dylan Doss.

“I don’t know exactly how many [Reagan Runs I’ve done], but I’ve been doing it since I was a little kid when my parents just had me do it for fun. So I’ve been out here a while,” Johnson said. “I’ve been training for, not too many weeks left, I’m still getting into my summer training, and I had fun coming out here. And I tried a little bit harder than maybe I needed to, but I had fun.”

Alberto Campa, a 20-year-old from Golden, Colorado took fourth, clocking a 15:55.54.

Port Byron’s Tommy Murray rounded out the top five, running a 15:56.61. The 2023 Riverdale High School graduate capped his high school career with a pair of Class 1A state track & field championships in the 1,600 meters (4:19.24) and the 3,200 meters (9:14.77) in May.

Former Sterling standout and current Western Illinois runner Isaiah Moorman was sixth with a time of 16:29.81, while Dixon rising junior Aaron Conderman was seventh with a time of 16:30.76, and former Dixon distance standout Brock Drengenberg took 10th in 17:12.75. Recent Amboy graduate Kyler McNinch finished 15th in 18:05.78, Sterling rising junior Aalin Schmidt was 16th in 18:06.36, and Newman rising senior Lucas Schaab placed 17th in 18:07.15.

Ari De La Cerda, a 21-year-old first-timer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was the female champion, clocking a 19:22.49 as the 26th overall finisher.

“I have a lot of friends here from Dixon, and they all told me the first mile was going to be pretty downhill, so I was ready for that. And my first mile was pretty quick,” De La Cerda said. “And I knew to brace myself for the hill for the second part, so I really tried to work up them and use as much strength there, and just kind of coast to the last mile.

“I feel really happy with how I ran. I didn’t go into it with any expectations, because I just wanted to come have fun and be with my friends, and winning was just kind of a little added plus; it’s cool and everything, but I just like the support I get from people, and I like being here and having a fun time.”

Dixon rising senior Emma Smith, the reigning female champion, was the female runner-up this year, running a 20:22.66 for 48th.